


The Exam

by SeverinadeStrango



Category: Sengoku Basara, 学園BASARA | Gakuen Basara | Gakuen Basara: Samurai High School (Anime)
Genre: Gen, Severina's July 2019 Requests, Slice of Life, school setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 12:58:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20064415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeverinadeStrango/pseuds/SeverinadeStrango
Summary: It's easy to let the stress of exams get to you.  Yukimura is no different.





	The Exam

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Xelie](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Xelie).

> This was written for Xelie as a request for the month of July 2019.

Finally alone in the library, Yukimura was openly panicking. Eight hours. He had eight hours left to prepare for the final in Ms. Magoichi’s class and as of now his chances did not look good. All term he had struggled to understand the concepts, having remained laser-focused during lectures and diligent in his note-taking, but even that had not been enough – the subject matter of physics simply hadn’t clicked with him, and although he knew that this was a common challenge that all students here at the academy faced at one time or another, it didn’t make him any less nervous.

He dragged the pile of books to his right forwards a little bit, reaching for the heavy text on the very top. Even the _old_ curriculum’s books had little to offer him in terms of help, but it was worth a try. Yukimura tore off the topmost sheet of his notebook, crumpled it into a ball, and brushed it aside. It was time to make some progress.

Or at least that was what he’d _hoped_ would have happened – because three hours later he remained just as puzzled as before. How had he gotten over _half_ of the practice problems wrong?! Yukimura compared his process and his work to his notes from the prior class – no use. He still was no closer to finding out where or how he had gone wrong.

His Lord would be so disappointed in him! Yukimura sat bolt upright, a new jolt of dread rocketing through him. Hadn’t Lord Shingen told him that he expected excellence from him this term? Surely he couldn’t fail him now – and yet it seemed increasingly likely, after so many spent hours with so little to show for it. Frustrated, Yukimura flopped forwards over the table and pressed his forehead against the pages of the open book in front of him. 

“Learning through osmosis isn’t a thing, Sanada.” 

Yukimura looked up. Date Masamune was standing just a few feet in front of him, leaning against the bookshelf with crossed arms and a half-smirk that was both relaxed and challenging at the same time. 

“How long have you been there?”

“Long enough.” Masamune pushed off from the bookshelf, stalking heavily towards the table before pulling one of the other chairs out and slumping into it. “Worried?” 

It wasn’t any use lying.

“I must admit that I am,” Yukimura ground out, his face burning in shame even though he didn’t know _why._ It wasn’t any surprise that Ms. Magoichi’s subject was difficult – he’d been warned about it by Sasuke as well, and even his Lord had admitted that the subject material had been challenging when _he_ was a student. “I fear that there is no possible way of passing now!” Masamune stifled a snort behind his hand.

“Because you’re focusing entirely too much on the numbers.”

Yukimura blinked.

“But – but how am I supposed to acquire the solution _without_ them?! I can’t just not answer - “ 

“That’s not what I meant.” Masamune scooted several feet to his left until he was practically pressed up against Yukimura, leaning over his braced arms so that he could clearly see the practice problem that had so vexed his rival for lord knows how long. “You see?” He jabbed a finger at the graphite-smeared notebook page. “You started out _with_ them instead of deriving the equation in the first place.” It was how Masamune had gotten by while sleeping through half of the classes and daydreaming through a good remainder of the rest. But of course, thinking on one’s feet wasn’t everybody’s style.

“I am afraid that I _still_ do not understand, Masamune-dono!” He was quickly answered by a handful of faceless shushing noises coming from the other tables. 

“This is still a _library,_ Sanada.”

“Ah - right!”

_“Ssssh!”_

It was almost impossible to differentiate between the color of Yukimura’s flushed skin and that of his hastily tied headband.

“Look here.” Masamune dragged Yukimura’s notebook over to his own space and flipped to a clean page, brushing the scattered eraser shavings off with the back of his hand. “I’ll show you.”

And so he did. Yukimura, little by little, forgot about the needless embarrassment that had initially come with accepting help from his rival. Lord Masamune was nothing if not a good sport, even if they both were somewhat…intense, to say the least – not to mention that his process made _much_ more sense than any of the “tricks” that Yukimura had been desperately trying to learn from his accumulated pile of textbooks. Three lines, and then one row of calculations, maybe a small graph. It was much less convoluted than before and Yukimura could have smacked himself for not having thought of it earlier. 

“I must offer my thanks to you, Masamune-dono,” he said at last, gathering his belongings into his bag and standing stiffly, “I fear that had it not been for you, my Lord – “

“Would notice your dedication anyways.” Yukimura twisted around again, looking back at Masamune with a quizzical expression. It wasn’t often that he could mention how much he wanted to please Lord Shingen to anyone other than Sasuke without getting mocked. _“Don’t worry,_ Sanada Yukimura.” Masamune stood, clapping a hand down on his shoulder. The lopsided grin was back. “You’ll be fine, _okay?”_

Without waiting for a reply, Masamune had left, with only a small wave in parting. Yukimura followed, the dread in his gut about the following day’s exam having lessened significantly. Yes. Yes, that was right – he wouldn’t worry. He’d learned. He’d be fine.


End file.
